City Council members in Evanston are considering a proposal that would ban hands-free devices while driving. The ordinance would be one of the toughest cell phone bans in the country, keeping all electronic devices out of driver's hands.Ald.

"Once upon a time there were two brothers. One of them went to sea, and the other became Vice President of the United States. Neither of them was ever heard of again."That's an old vaudeville joke, and it always got a laugh. It was true enough.

North suburban Evanston is easing penalties for marijuana possession. Anyone caught in Evanston with 10 grams of marijuana or less will be getting a ticket instead of being sent to jail.The Evanston city council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance Monday night.

Piano. from Paul Rayment on Vimeo.Chicago has no shortage of film festivals. Seriously you could spend practically every weekend checking out the best in international film or new movies for children or even films about bikes!

Evanston and Chicago, both lakefront communities with a lot going for them, including diverse populations and impressive cultural and economic draws; but Eight Forty-Eight wondered, when stacked against each other, how do they compare?

It was a smelly summer on the west side of Evanston — so much so that some residents are determined to run the culprit out of town.This summer, they launched a website and protested outside the Veolia Waste Transfer Station on Church Street to ratchet up pressure on the company.

Communities are having a problem with vacant properties in this recession. They’re struggling to generate tax revenues, properties are deteriorating with neglect, and neighboring property values are plummeting. Most towns are scrambling to find new tenants for these buildings: businesses,